The chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, formerly known as the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, is the presiding officer of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, which is the permanent body of the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's supreme state organ of power. The chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly serves concurrently as the chairman of the SPA Standing Committee.
The chairman organizes and guides the work of the Standing Committee, and presides over its work.Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Article 113 The chairman is assisted by vice chairpersons and a secretary-general, who together comprise the Permanent Committee of the Standing Committee, The chairman is also, along with all other members of the SPA Standing Committee, a member of the Plenary Meeting of the Standing Committee.Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Article 117
The position is vacant since 20 June 2026.
History The 1948 Constitution created the position of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1948), Article 48 The chairman presided over the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, which was given the power to ratify or annul treaties with foreign countries, appoint or recall ambassadors to foreign countries and receive letters of credentials or recall of foreign diplomatic representatives.Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1948), Article 49 Nominally, the Chairman of the SPA Standing Committee held the highest state post followed by the premier, Kim Il Sung. The formal powers of the office led some to argue the chairman of the SPA Standing Committee was effectively the head of state of North Korea, though the office was never legally defined as such. Instead, starting from 1968, North Korean state media started referring Premier Kim Il Sung as the head of state.
The 1972 Constitution created the position of President of North Korea who is tasked with being the country's head of state.Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972), Article 89 The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (under the new Korean title of 최고인민회의 상설회의 의장) was removed of its power to represent the state and was limited to doing legislative work as the concurrent chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly.Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972), Articles 86 and 87 The 1998 revision of the 1972 Constitution created the position under the new English translation of President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly with its powers to represent the state restored, though the office was again not legally referred to as the head of state.
The 1972 Constitution was revised in April 2019 to designate the then-Chairman of the State Affairs Commission as the supreme leader, with the powers reserved to the head of state being transferred to the SAC chairman in August of the same year. In February 2022, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission began to be referred in English as the President of the State Affairs. This led to the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly being referred in English to its previous title of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.
The Constitution was revised again in 2026. The new amendments stipulated that the chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly serves concurrently as the chairman of the SPA Standing Committee. Additionally, they transferred the powers to receive credentials and letters of recall of diplomatic representatives accredited by foreign countries to the president of the State Affairs Commission.
List of office holders No.PortraitNameTerm of officePartySPA1Kim Tu-bong19481957Workers' Party of North Korea1st Workers' Party of Korea2Choe Yong-gon19571972Korean Social Democratic Party 2nd 3rd 4th3Hwang Jang-yop19721983Workers' Party of Korea 5th 6th7th4Yang Hyong-sop19831998Workers' Party of Korea 8th 9th5Kim Yong-nam19982019Workers' Party of Korea 10th 11th 12th 13th 6 Choe Ryong-hae 2019 2026 Workers' Party of Korea 14th 7 Jo Yong-won 2026 2026 Workers' Party of Korea 15thVacant
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